Kolkata rape-murder: Supreme Court gives 5pm deadline, ‘disheartened’ doctors react
Protesting junior doctors in West Bengal have said they would continue their ‘cease work’ to demand justice for the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital trainee doctor, who was raped and murdered, despite Supreme Court’s deadline directing to resume duties by 5pm on Tuesday, September 10.
On Monday, the Indian Medical Association (IMA)’s Bengal branch also said it was “totally disheartened” with the Supreme Court’s direction of the protesting doctors.
Meanwhile, rallies were taken out in different parts of the Kolkata as part of an event termed ‘9-9-9’, with people assembling for nine minutes when the clock struck 9 on Monday evening, demanding justice for the RG Kar hospital doctor.
Singing the national anthem, hundreds gathered for nine minutes at Shyambazar, Esplanade, New Town, Jadavpur 8B terminus, apart from Bally and Mandirtala in neighbouring Howrah town.
Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: 10 updates
On Monday, the Supreme Court directed the striking medics to resume their duties by 5pm on Tuesday to avoid adverse action by the West Bengal government. The court passed the direction after the West Bengal government assured it that no action, including punitive transfers, shall be taken against the protesting doctors if they resume work.
The striking doctors said they would also take out a rally to ‘Swasthya Bhavan’ – the headquarters of the health department in Salt Lake – on Tuesday noon demanding the resignation of the state’s health secretary and director of health education.
“Our demands are unfulfilled and justice is not meted out to the victim. We will continue our agitation as well as the ‘cease work’. We want the health secretary and DHE to resign. Tomorrow noon, we will hold a rally to the Swasthya Bhavan,” news agency PTI quoted one of the protesting doctors as saying after their governing body meeting in Kolkata.
In a statement, the IMA Bengal state branch criticised the Central Bureau of Investigation, which is probing the case, and the West Bengal government, accusing them of not taking enough steps to ensure justice to the trainee doctor and crackdown on the health syndicate.
The IMA also said protests “won’t die down” and that it would “become more stronger” till a solution was reached.
“We are totally disheartened by the proceedings of the court and CBI. No step was taken for a speedy trial to deliver justice to our colleague. We were even more disheartened to learn that Hon’ble Supreme Court has asked the junior doctors, who are the forerunners of this protest to return to work by 5pm tomorrow,” the IMA said in the statement.
The ruling Trinamool Congress hailed the Supreme Court direction asking protesting doctors in West Bengal to resume work and said the primary duty of the medics is to save lives and this commitment cannot be compromised.
The mother of the deceased trainee doctor has accused West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee of lying about not offering financial compensation. On Monday, she refuted the CM’s claim, stating that Mamata Banerjee did offer money following her daughter’s tragic death. “The Chief Minister is lying. My daughter will not return. Would I lie in her name? The chief minister told us that we would receive money and suggested that we create something in our daughter’s memory. I responded that I would come to her office to collect the money once my daughter gets justice,” news agency ANI quoted the victim’s mother as saying.
During hearing in the Supreme Court, the CBI on Monday raised doubts over the forensic report of the postgraduate medic and said it has decided to send samples to AIIMS for further investigation, PTI reported.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, informed a bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud that according to the medical report, the death was homicidal and there is evidence of forceful penetration and sexual assault.